Digital Foundations
Google’s Changed How People Find You.Here’s What Actually Helps.
People used to get a list of names. Now they ask their phone a question — “who’s a good sparky around here” — and it picks a handful to answer with. Same thing’s changed the regular map results too: the businesses with more, better, more recent activity are the ones that keep showing up.
Nobody can promise you’ll be one of the businesses the AI names — anyone who says they can is having you on. What actually moves the needle is the same thing that’s always worked, done properly:
Real Google reviews, with detail in them.
A review that says “great job, thanks” tells a stranger nothing. A review that says “fixed our hot water same day, cleaned up after themselves” gives Google — and the AI reading it — something to work with. You can’t tell someone what to write. But ask them close to when the job wraps up, while it’s fresh, and you’ll naturally get more detail — and more photos in the review too.
Replying to reviews, properly.
Not “thanks!” — actually mention the job. “Glad the hot water’s sorted, that was a tricky install.” It shows you’re active, and it gives the profile more of the detail that helps.
Photos, regularly.
Finished jobs, the van, before-and-afters. Doesn’t need to be a production — just needs to keep happening.
Services kept current.
If you’ve started doing something new, it needs to be on the profile, not just in your head.
Your whole territory listed.
If your profile only says your home suburb, that’s the only place you’ll reliably show up — even if you drive further than that every week.
None of this is a trick. It’s just doing the basics properly, and doing them often enough that the profile looks like an active business — because that’s what both people and the AI are actually reading it for.
Want someone to check yours?
Send me your business name and where you work. I’ll have a look the way a customer would and tell you the first few things I’d fix. No report, no pitch — just a straight answer.
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